DIGESTS

BDDP has denied speculation that it is seeking a buyer and that Goldman Sachs is dealing with the matter. President of BDDP Europe Rod Wright says: ‘It is not true. Maybe some investors are talking to Goldman Sachs but we haven’t’. Walter Butler, a major BDDP shareholder, is thought to be interested in selling his stake.

Tyco Toys has consolidated its 60m worldwide account into D’Arcy Masius Benton &amp; Bowles, after dropping Delaney Fletcher Bozell as its pan-European agency. The third-largest US toy manufacturer, which has the Matchbox range, Magna Doodle and View-Master, is placing its 10m pan-European account with DMB&B in the UK, according to the agency’s chairman John Farrell.

True North Communications and Publicis are hunting for new international partners following the collapse of their eight-year alliance. Publicis has retained control of the Publicis-FCB European joint venture in which it holds a 51 per cent stake. See Maurice Levy profile p40.

Kettle Foods, the upmarket snacks maker is looking for an agency for its first UK above-the-line advertising.

Osprey Park has won the Carpet Depot account, worth 9.5m over the next three years. The agency won the business to launch the brand, a sister of the Carpetright chain, in a three-way pitch with Arc Advertising and Stowe Bowden Wilson.

Ross Chip Shop is investing 1.5m in its first national TV ad campaign through Mellors Reay &amp; Partners. The new 30-second commercial, “Worth Waiting For”, breaks on March 11 and will run for four weeks. Ross Chip Shop is using the Easter period to launch a new addition, haddock and chips, to its Harry Ramsden’s range of fish and chips (above).

The Australian Tourist Commission has dropped Ogilvy &amp; Mather and BMP DDB from its shortlist, leaving Young &amp; Rubicam, J Walter Thompson and McCann-Erickson to battle it out for the 20m global account.

Faulds was given permission last week by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre to screen its public service broadcast on domestic violence before the 9pm water shed. The broadcast coincided with the episode of Coronation Street in which character Jim McDonald hits his wife Liz.

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